IGP says Punjab has topped implementation of NAP. PHOTO: FACEBOOK PAGE
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has suspended the summon notice issued to Punjab police chief by an anti-terrorism court in the Model Town tragedy case.
On Friday, a full bench of the LHC suspended operation of the summons issued to the Punjab inspector general of police for the murder of Pakistan Awami Tehreek workers in June 2014.
ATC judge Muhammad Azam had summoned 127 people, including IGP Mushtaq Sukhera, DIG operations and the former DCO, on March 11 (today).
The bench headed by LHC’s Justice Yawar Ali Khan while suspending the notice sought the comments of Jawad Hamid, a PAT leader, on March 17.
The IGP’s counsel submitted the ATC had summoned the police chief on a private complaint by PAT leader. These summons, he added, were issued on baseless information provided to the court as the respondent was not on this post when the incident happened.
He said Sukhera had nothing to do with the Model Town incident, the private complaint for which had been filed after 21 months of the event. He asked the court to declare these notices as illegal and unconstitutional.
The ATC judge had directed the respondents to appear in person and deposit surety bonds of Rs500,000 each.
On March 3 last year, PAT and Minhajul Quran had filed a private complaint in the court seeking trial of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, federal ministers Saad Rafique and Khawaja Asif and others, accusing them of ‘murdering’ innocent party workers in June 2014.
The court, however, dismissed the PAT’s plea seeking trial of the premier, chief minister, provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah and eight other MNAs.
The court has partially accepted the plea and summoned the Punjab police chief among others.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 11th, 2017.
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